INDIA- SIZE AND LOCATION

CLASS IX GEOGRAPHY
CHAPTER-1

1. INDIA – SIZE AND LOCATION CLASS IX GEOGRAPHY- CHAPTER 1 (By: Mrs. Usha Joy)

2. India - LOCATION Location : Northern Hemisphere Main Land : Latitude - 8˚4’ N and 37˚6’ N Longitude - 68˚7’E and 97˚25’E Indian Union : Latitude - 6˚45’N and 37˚6’ N Tropic of Cancer ( 23˚30’N ) – Divides into almost two equal parts

3. Heat zones

4. INDIA - location Southeast : Andaman and Nicobar Islands - Bay of Bengal Southwest : Lakshadweep Islands - Arabian Sea Southern most point : mainland -Kanyakumari Indian Union -Indira point ( submerged – 2004 Tsunami )

5. INDIA – POLITICAL MAP

6. INDIA - SIZE Land mass : 3.28 million square km 2.4% of the total area of the world Seventh Largest Country : Russia , Canada ,USA , China , Brazil , Australia , India

7. Boundary Land boundary : 15,200 km Length of coastline : 7,516.6 km (including islands) Northwest, North and Northeast – Young fold mountains South : From 22˚N onwards it begins to taper and extends towards the Indian Ocean, dividing it into two seas the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on its east.

8. Distance Latitudinal and longitudinal extension - 30˚ North-south distance - 3214 km East-west distance - 2933 km

9. Standard Meridian of India From Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, there is a time lag of two hours. Hence, time along the Standard Meridian of India (82°30'E) passing through Mirzapur (in Uttar Pradesh) is taken as the standard time for the whole country. The latitudinal extent influences the duration of day and night , as one moves from south to north.

10. India

11. India and the World The Indian landmass has a central location between the East and the West Asia. India is a southward extension of the Asian continent. The trans Indian Ocean routes , which connect the countries of Europe in the West and the countries of East Asia, provide a strategic central location to India. The Deccan Peninsula protrudes into the Indian Ocean, thus helping India to establish close contact with West Asia, Africa and Europe from the western coast and with Southeast and East Asia from the eastern coast. No other country has a long coastline on the Indian Ocean as India has and indeed, justifies the naming of an Ocean after it.

12. Do you know? Since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 , India’s distance from Europe has been reduced by 7,000 km. Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The canal is part of the Silk Road that connects Europe with Asia.

13. Suez Canal

14. Contact with the world India’s contacts with the World have continued through ages but her relationships through the land routes are much older than her maritime contacts. The various passes across the mountains in the north have provided passages to the ancient travellers , while the oceans restricted such interaction for a long time.

15. India’s Contact with the world These routes have contributed in the exchange of ideas and commodities since ancient times. The ideas of the Upanishads and the Ramayana, the stories of Panchtantra , the Indian numerals and the decimal system thus could reach many parts of the world. The spices, muslin and other merchandise were taken from India to different countries. On the other hand, the influence of Greek sculpture, and the architectural styles of dome and minarets from West Asia can be seen in different parts of our country.

16. Do you know? Before 1947, there were two types of states in India — the provinces and the Princely states. Provinces were ruled directly by British officials, who were appointed by the Viceroy. Princely states were ruled by local, hereditary rulers, who acknowledged sovereignity in return for local autonomy.

17. India’s Neighbors 28 states and eight union territories Northwest – Pakistan and Afghanistan North - China, Nepal, Bhutan East - Myanmar, Bangladesh South - Sri Lanka, Maldives

18. India’s Neighbors Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar , while Maldives Islands are situated to the south of the Lakshadweep Islands.